4-year sentence in Susan McMahon death

The Aurora man accused of striking and killing Oak Park resident Susan McMahon with a car last September accepted a plea deal in Cook County Circuit Court Wednesday.

Michael Cessna, 23, who was driving on a revoked license with no insurance, the afternoon of Sept. 16, admitted to doing heroin prior to running into McMahon with his father’s car as she unloaded groceries outside her home on the 300 block of

Judge Carol Kipperman sentenced Cessna to four years in prison after conferring with prosecution and defense attorneys in chambers. District Four Cook County State‘s Attorneys Office Supervisor Colin Simpson said Thursday that Cessna’s plea bargain was an indication he understood the strength of the state’s case against him. Cessna was charged with two counts of aggravated DUI, one for being in an accident causing death while intoxicated, the other count for having no valid license at the time of the incident. Cessna pled guilty to the first aggravated DUI charge, which carries a mandatory prison sentence of three years, and a maximum of 14 years.

“He pled to the higher classification [crime],” said Simpson.

Under a 2006 change in Illinois law, Cessna will serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, minus five months credit for time served in Cook County Jail awaiting trial.

Oak Park Police Chief Rick Tanksley said last September that Cessna had claimed he was reaching over to pick something up when he struck McMahon. However, police say they smelled alcohol on his breath after the crash, and were prepared to testify to that at trial.

Police also conducted a traffic crash reconstruction. In mid-November, detectives received toxicology test results from the State Police lab that showed the presence of heroin, morphine, codeine, alcohol, Xanax and Benadryl in Cessna’s blood and urine immediately following the accident. They tracked Cessna to a Lisle apartment complex and arrested him the night of Nov. 13.

Cessna’s driver’s license was revoked in December of 2005, after a DUI conviction in late 2005, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. Besides convictions for DUI, Cessna was convicted of theft in Cook County court in January, 2006, for which he received six months’ court supervision. In September of 2006 he was arrested for possession of heroin, but the case was dismissed after a judge found no probable cause.

Tanksley said Thursday he was very happy Cessna would spend in prison for killing a McMahon, who he knew as a fellow village hall employee.

“I’m pleased he’ll spend some time in the penitentiary, albeit a short time, it may appear.”

McMahon’s brother, Curtis Uthene of Forest Park, expressed acceptance of the sentence, saying, “When you consider he took the life of a sweet, wonderful woman … at least he’ll serve some time.”

Oak Park Village Clerk Sandra Sokol had gone to court Wednesday primarily to show support for the family, unaware there would be a plea agreement. She said the state’s attorney and defense attorney accompanied Judge Kipperman into her chambers. When they came out, she said, the defense attorney gave a “thumbs up” sign to Cessna’s parents, a gesture noted by others as well. After a recess, Cessna, standing before the judge in jail garb, pled guilty.

Sokol said she’d have preferred to avoid hearing the reciting of graphic police, fire and eyewitness testimony. “That was horrible,” she said.

McMahon’s son Robert read a note to the court Wednesday expressing his family’s deep sense of loss. “We will live through this, but we will not be the same ever,” he said.

“It was a beautiful letter. Very sad,” said Sokol, who wrote her own note to her village hall staff Wednesday afternoon.

“May Sue rest in peace,” she said. “It’s been a terrible loss to us and the family. She was a wonderful person.”